The invention relates to a plate-shaped metallic blank for the manufacturing of spherical filling bodies for material exchange columns.
Spherical, hollow filling bodies for material exchange columns, heat exchange columns, washing towers for gases and the like are known. Such filling bodies are introduced in form of bulk- or fill-material into the material exchange columns, heat exchange columns, wash towers for gases, etc. The stream of liquid--which is conveyed through the loose- or bulk-material in downward direction--and/or the stream of gas--which is conveyed in upward direction through the loose- or bulk-material are to be distributed as finely as possible within the loose- or bulk-material through the intervention of the filling bodies, so that the liquid and the gas can come in as close contact as possible with one another, or so that liquid and/or solid impurities can be separated from the gases as readily as possible.
In general, such filling bodies consist of a lattice-work body made of a synthetic material or plastic, which filling body has an equatorial ring, from which ring meridian-shaped strips extend toward the poles. The meridian-shaped strips end a short distance from the poles. In its interior, such a filling body also displays cross-pieces and the like, to increase the surface and the number of edges and corners from which the liquid can drip off and can impinge against the gases. Such type of bodies molded from plastics can be manufactured without difficulties by using, for example, injection molding processes. The manufacturing of these filling bodies from metal has been possible only by a casting process, or a similar process involving great expenditures of energy and time.